Tuesday, August 01, 2006

ZAMAN DAILY NEWSPAPER ALI BULAC08.01.2006 Tuesday - ISTANBUL 16:19Israel and America define Hamas and Hezbollah each as a “terror organization.” Those who repeat this definition are working inside the parameters of Israel’s and America’s “psychological warfare tactics.”If an irrevocable criteria of the definition of terror is “killing innocent civilians,” the US-England and Israel mercilessly kill innocent civilians. According to the US’s official announcements, 30 thousand civilians have been killed in Iraq to date; you can triple that. I wonder why those who vehemently oppose Hamas have remained tongue-tied when it comes to what the US has done in Afghanistan and Iraq and the civilian murders Israel perpetrated in Lebanon.

There’s a political behind-the-scene plan and hidden purpose in placing Hamas and Hezbollah in this defining framework, which is: Terror organizations don’t know anything but blind violence and killing. Thus, Hamas’ taking 1 prisoner and Hezbollah’s taking 2 prisoners becomes “a stupid action.” (Also, let’s remember that events started before the capture of the soldiers with Israel’s killing a 7-member family having a picnic on the beach.)

Well, then, without thinking about the consequences, has Hezbollah really taken a “stupid action, an adventure that will cost it dearly?” Israel is causing great casualties. If in this situation Hezbollah took Israeli soldiers as hostage for the sake of “glory” or as “support for its Sunni Hamas brothers,” that means it is the cause of all the civilian killings. No one would take on such a responsibility. This is the opinion of Arab countries who are afraid that the US is implementing the Great Middle East Project and those supplying logistical support to Israel’s psychological warfare. But this is a naive view.

To understand whether this is the case, let’s look at this news report: “Based on news given by Baztab News Agency Beirut reporter, Hezbollah, after interrogating the two soldiers it took hostage, sent a report of the soldiers’ statements to the Lebanese army. According to statements of the Israeli hostages, the Israeli army is readying for a major offensive against Lebanon this fall. The statements say that the Israeli army was going to launch an offensive in September or October, similar to the operation against Hamas, to wipe out the Hezbollah in Lebanon.”

We can look at this news report with “suspicion.” At the same time, we have to take into consideration psychological warfare tactics and information pollution in this direction. However, it’s an indisputable truth that Israel is planning to attack Lebanon in the coming months. The murder of Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hariri and subsequent UN resolution (no.1559) forcing Syria to withdraw its troops (I’m going to take up this topic on Wednesday) are closely related to this.

Three years ago there were those saying that Israel had put Hezbollah and Lebanon on its agenda. In an article in “El Hayat” magazine published on February 28, 2003, British writer and Middle East expert Patrik Seyl, referring to then Israeli Defense Minister Saul Mofaz and National Security Adviser and former Mossad Chairman Afraim Halifi, said, “After Saddam, the fallout of a war that will shake Iraq will include Ramallah, Damascus and Tahran.” The plan is this: “Gain a final victory against Palestine, kill or exile Arafat, advance towards the goal of a “Greater Israel,” force the Palestinians from Palestine or force them to move, end the mullah regime in Iran, remove Hezbollah from Lebanon, and take the Arab world under its influence using tactical ally Turkey and strategic ally America.” (Zaman, March 7, 2003.)

It appears that Hezbollah, according to certain calculations, forced Israel to intervene in Lebanon. Developments will show whether this is a correct strategy or not. But the reality is, Israel was forced to “act early.” In fact, saying that Israel has fallen into Hezbollah’s trap, Mossad is blaming the General Staff.